Sabut moong dal recipe with step by step photos – homely Punjabi style dal made with whole moong beans.
This green moong dal recipe is one of those dals I make often. Just that I never clicked the pics and shared. I also make urad dal in a similar way.
The green moong beans are cooked in a pressure cooker. You can cook the dal in a pot or pan too. I have mentioned the details on how to cook the beans in a pan, in the notes section of the recipe card below. Moong beans as well as moong lentils are my preferred choice of legumes, to make dals or khichdis as they are easy to digest and nutritious.
The taste of this green gram curry is like a home-cooked dal and really goes well with rotis or steamed rice. If I make a side veggie dish, I serve the dal with steamed rice or we just have it with rotis with a side veggie salad.
If you are looking for more Dal recipes then do check:
How to make green moong dal
1. Rinse ½ cup green moong beans for a couple of times and then soak in enough water for an hour. You can also soak them for a couple of hours or overnight. If soaking overnight, then the pressure cooking time will reduce.
2. chop 1 medium onion, 1 large tomato and 1 to 2 green chilies.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. add the whole spices – 1 medium tej patta/Indian bay leaf and ½ tsp cumin seeds. Saute till the cumin seeds splutter.
4. Then add the chopped onions.
5. Saute the onions till they start to turn light golden.
6. Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilies. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
7. Now add the chopped tomatoes and ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ¼ tsp garam masala powder.
8. Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides.
9. Drain and add the moong beans.
10. Stir very well.
11. Add 2.5 to 3 cups water and salt as per taste.
12. Cover and pressure cook sabut moong dal for 10 to 12 whistles or for 15 to 17 minutes on a medium to high flame till the moong beans are softened thoroughly. when the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid and check the moong beans. If they still have slight bite to them, then add some water and pressure cook for some more whistles.
13. If the mixture looks dry and the water looks less, then you can add more water. Keep the cooker on the stove top and simmer the moong dal for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring at intervals. the consistency of the dal should not be watery. While cooking you can mash a few lentils with the back of the spoon.
Tempering for green moong dal
This step is optional.
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan or tadka pan. Splutter ½ tsp cumin seeds first.
2. Switch off the flame and then add a pinch of asafoetida and ¼ tsp red chili powder. Stir.
3. Add this tempering to the green moong dal. Stir well.
4. Add 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir again.
5. Serve whole green moong dal with steamed rice or chapatis. While serving this green gram curry, you can garnish with a few coriander leaves if you want.
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Green Moong Dal
Ingredients
main ingredients
- ½ cup sabut moong dal (whole moong beans) - soaked in water for an hour or two hours or overnight
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion, chopped or ⅓ cup chopped onions
- 1 large tomato, finely chopped or ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste or ½ inch ginger + 3 to 4 medium garlic - crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 2.5 to 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
- salt as required
for tempering
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
Instructions
preparation
- Rinse 1/2 cup green moong beans for a couple of times and then soak in enough water for an hour. You can also soak them for a couple of hours or overnight. If soaking overnight, then the pressure cooking time will reduce.
- Chop 1 medium onion, 1 large tomato and 1 to 2 green chilies. Crush the ginger and garlic to a paste in the mortar-pestle.
making green moong dal
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker.
- Add the whole spices - 1 medium tej patta/indian bay leaf and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. Saute till the cumin seeds splutter.
- Then add the chopped onions. Saute the onions till light golden.
- Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilies. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and 1/4 tsp garam masala powder.
- Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides.
- Drain and add the moong beans. Stir very well.
- Add 2.5 to 3 cups water and salt as per taste. Stir very well.
- Cover and pressure cook sabut moong dal for 10 to 12 whistles or 15 to 17 minutes on a medium to high flame till the moong beans are softened thoroughly.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid and check the moong beans. If they still have slight bite to them, then add some water and pressure cook for some more whistles.
- If the mixture looks dry, then you can add more water. Keep the cooker on the stove top and simmer the moong dal for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring at intervals.
- The consistency of the dal should not be watery. While cooking you can mash a few lentils with the back of the spoon.
tempering for green moong dal (optional)
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan or tadka pan. Splutter 1/2 tsp cumin seeds first.
- Switch off the flame and then add a pinch of asafoetida and 1/4 tsp red chili powder. Stir.
- Add this tempering to the dal. Stir well.
- Add 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir again.
- Serve green moong dal with steamed rice or chapatis.
- While serving this green gram curry, you can garnish with a few coriander leaves if you want.
Tastes very nice and still healthy
Very nice taste
Thank you Minal.
Whenever I need help in cooking typical Bengali food, I call my mom…. n for any other vegetarian Recipe, I search for vegrecipesofindia…. they always come out perfect…. thank you so much
Good to know and thanks for sharing. Thanks a lot for the positive feedback and most welcome.
My family loves this recipe, it’s so tasty! We also love your mother in laws rajma curry, thank you both for the recipes 💙
Good to know and thanks for sharing. Happy cooking.
Can you please share some more recipes of green grams?
Will do.